1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-capturing device having two image display systems, which are an electronic viewfinder and an external monitor. The image-capturing device simplifies various operations which are associated with the taking of photographs when a photograph is taken using the electronic viewfinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image-capturing devices, such as video cameras or still cameras having both an electronic viewfinder (hereinafter abbreviated as an xe2x80x9cEVFxe2x80x9d) and an external monitor, an image-capturing device is known in which transparent switches (commonly called a touch panel), through which it is possible to see an image displayed therebelow, are mounted on the image display screen of an external monitor. Since the touch panel is well known, a description of the operating principles, and so forth, is omitted.
In such an image-capturing device using a touch panel as an operation system, an operation area (or e.g., an operation switch) displayed as a two-dimensional image on an image display surface is directly touched by a finger, and so forth, in order to perform, for example, focus adjustment, brightness adjustment, and so forth, on a photographic image while taking a photograph.
However, in an image-capturing device using a touch panel, such as that described above, there is a problem in that the operation when taking a photograph while viewing the external monitor screen is completely different from the operation when taking a photograph while viewing through the EVF.
When taking a photograph while viewing the external monitor screen, a photographer may perform various adjustments by touching, by a finger, etc., the touch panel on the image of the operation switch that is displayed on the screen at the same time as the photographic image. However, when a photograph is taken while viewing through the EVF, it is impossible to view the EVF and the external monitor screen simultaneously. Therefore, even if an operation switch similar to that displayed on the external monitor screen is displayed on the EVF, it is impossible to perform an operation by touching a specific portion of the touch panel corresponding to the operation switch.
Therefore, when taking a photograph while viewing through the EVF, an operation must be performed by using a dedicated operation switch, etc., which is mounted separately, requiring a user to perform an operation different from that when taking a photograph while viewing the external monitor screen. This leads to an increased cost for the image-capturing device and a more comlex and troublesome user operation.
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide various common operation procedures when an EVF is used and when an external monitor is used in an image-capturing device having two image display systems, which are an EVF and an external monitor, and which uses a touch poanel for various operation switches while taking a photograph, etc.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image-capturing device which comprises an external monitor which has a touch panel mounted on an image display screen, the image display screen having a backlight, and which has an openable/closeable and rotatable mechanism; an electronic viewfinder which is smaller than the external monitor and which has an eyepiece section; and a display unit for displaying a pointer which moves within the screen of the electronic viewfinder in accordance with an operation of the touch panel and displays an operation area for inputting an instruction of various operations which are associated with taking a photograph by specifying and selecting the operation area by the pointer. When an image is recorded or replayed by using the electronic viewfinder, the pointer is moved by operating the touch panel in order to select a desired operation area, thereby inputting an instruction of various operations.
Therefore, it is possible to provide substantially common methods of various operations when an image is recorded or replayed by using an EVF and when an image is recorded or replayed by using an external monitor.